And Buildings Were Shattered
by contradiction emo
Summary: All his life he was hurt,hiding himself behind a mask, all the while trying to piece his fragile existence together. until the day he unwittingly takes it off. Once glass is broken, it is nearly impossible to fix.Better summary inside!
1. A Crack In Construction

**Summary: Naruto has been abused by everyone, his orphanage caretakers, ninjas, and even past Hokages, all his life. The abuse has left deep scars on his heart, but he Hides behind a mask of cheerfulness and pranks, living his day to day life as a jokester ninja, fooling everybody. As his 12****th**** birthday approaches, a prophecy is coming to light, one that requires the support of all his friends. To become who he is destined to be, Naruto will have to place his faith in those who he considers family, and in doing so, gain the knowledge and love he was always meant to have.**

**I've changed the timeline, and everything up to the part where Naruto brings home tsunade to be the fifth has happened when he was eleven instead of being thirteen.**

**This is an eventual Kakashi adopts Naruto story, and Kakashi as well as a lot of the other adults are a big part of it.**

**Oh yeah, Sakura is an orphan in this story, because her mother died on a dangerous mission when she was born, and her father abused her up until her eleventh birthday, when a certain teacher found out, and got her out of the situation as soon as he could. She is now living in her own apartment. Also, she is not infatuated with Sasuke, and the two are just friends. Her father isn't dead, and I may use that plot later in the story**

**I don't own any part of this story except for the plot, everything belongs to the rightful owners.**

**And Finally, on with story………..**

Naruto ran blindly through Konaha's streets, making his way from rooftop to rooftop, trying to find the quickest route to his house to avoid the mob he was sure was following him. His twelfth birthday was tomorrow, and consequently, the day the kyuubi was sealed away, prompting most of the enraged town to get back at the Kyuubi, by taking it out on Naruto.

He put his hands together in the sign of his signature justsu, and immediately a Naruto clone was at his side. He signaled his intentions and the clone took off towards the mob, playing as a decoy for him as he sped up towards his home.

JK

Just as Naruto entered his house, a downpour began, tearing away at the lively streets of Konoha, and hopefully, thought Naruto, getting rid of the mob that was once again threatening his life. He sighed sadly, it had always been like this, people hurting him for things that weren't his fault, People blaming him for things that he wasn't even associated with, simply because he was the Kyuubi holder, and sometimes because he was only human.

Naruto shook away his depressing thoughts, and made his way over to the stove, where he prepared himself a light dinner. After a shower and a quick prayer, he got into his bed, hand next to his hidden kunai in case someone tried something in the middle of the night, which was very unlikely considering who was outside of his window. Naruto smiled, and then snuggled deep in his blankets, sometimes he thought, it paid to be a good actor.

HK

Kakashi followed Naruto home, following at a close enough distance that he was able to keep Naruto in eye range, but far enough away that he thought Naruto couldn't sense his chakra. When Naruto's lights went out for the night, he made his way stealthily to the tiny apartment roof, and took out a book in preparation for the long night. He glanced back every couple of minutes, smiling fondly at Naruto's askew way of sleeping. _Poor kid can never catch a break, but you'll see little guy, one day this will all be yours, prankster that you are, you do have a good heart._ He looked out over the village, Naruto's precious place, his home, and consequently his haven. _Now isn't that ironic._ Kakashi chuckled to himself, and settled in, glancing at naruto one final time, before continuing his guard duty.

MO

The next morning dawned bright and early, and as the sun's first rays washed over Naruto's bedroom, he awoke. He sighed softly, giving a small yawn as he stretched widely. He opened his small wardrobe and pulled out his funeral robes, getting ready to pay his respects to the late fourth Hokage.

VE

Naruto made his way towards the funeral service, resigning himself to his fate, yet knowing in his heart its necessity. He came to a stop a short distance away, and got in line, to place a delicate rose on the Urn dedicated to the Hokage. He ignored the glares and heated words, payed his respects, bowed to the urn and left quietly, meeting Tsunade's eyes on the way out, giving her a small nod.

Sakura watched sadly as Naruto left , glancing across the crowd of people and meeting Sasuke's gaze. He nodded at her and after depositing their own Roses, went after their normally upbeat teammate. Kakashi gazed after his team worriedly, hoping that Naruto would finally have the courage to tell his teammates his most guarded secret, he sighed sadly, then turned to watch the rest of the 'before the festival' proceedings.

OV

Team seven sat on the railings of their team's meeting bridge, and gazed out at the water, while waiting on the other to make the first move.

Sakura gathered her courage, and glanced one more at Sasuke before turning her full attention to Naruto.

"Naruto" When he looked at her she continued, "I… we… Why do you leave?

Naruto didn't even pretend that he didn't understand her question and gave her the most honest answer he could. "Because… I'd rather live to see another sunrise… and hopefully, one day, keep the fourth's sacrifice from being in vain.


	2. Makeshift Family

"What are you talking about Naruto?"

Naruto turned his head away, hiding his eyes behind his bangs "There's something I've been keeping from you guys… I… I'm… remember the story about the fourth" At their nods he continued " Well it wasn't exactly accurate… you see, he never killed the Kyuubi, he sealed it away, in a baby… I was that baby."

Sakura's mouth dropped in shock, and even Sasuke lost his composure, as the two friends contemplated what their youngest team member had revealed.

Naruto smiled gently, resigning himself to whatever they would say. When the silence continued for several minutes, he sighed and started walking home, telling himself it was all for the best that his companions rejected him now rather than later.

He got so far as the market square when his cell members caught up to him. Sakura gave him a hug, and a quick kiss on the cheek and laced her hand with his, while Sasuke patted Naruto gently on the back. The three shared a soft smile and continued the walk to Naruto's house in comfortable Silence.

Kakashi watched from a nearby rooftop as his team accepted Naruto fully into it's circle. He smiled lightly behind his mask, and with a few hand signs, poofed away.

The kids split up half way, opting to meet up at Sakura's house later for a sleepover, aplan of Sakura's that would hopefully keep Naruto safe throughout the night.

"So… started Sakura awkwardly as they watched Naruto walk down the path "Naruto holds the Kyuubi, Sasuke nodded " that explains some things huh."

"Listen Sakura, if you don't want to support it, then don't… At Sakura's aghast face, he explained "If you're so against it, then don't toy around with him, he doesn't need it from you too."

"You sure are protective Sasuke kun, don't worry I have no intention of hurting him, he's my little brother too you idiot." Sasuke shot her a grateful look, blanking his face again as a village girl looked at him and Sakura jealously.

NA

Sakura and Sasuke made their way to Sakura's apartment in contented silence, and once there, began preparing a dinner for the three of them. Sakura stirred the stew and alternatively watched through the window for any signs of Naruto. Sasuke walked into the kitchen, his arms laden with firewood from the outside shed and placed it gently in the grated stand by Sakura's small fireplace. He turned slightly, about to tell Sakura about the man he'd just met outside, when he caught her forlorn glance at the kitchen window.

"He's late… I mean I know we didn't actually set a time but he-

Sasuke cut her off by shoving her jacket in front of her face and simultaneously shutting off the stove, before grabbing her arm and dragging her towards the front door. He smirked at her bewildered expression, "lets go find our dobe."

RU

The two made it to Naruto's tiny apartment building in record time, not even acknowledging the smirking front desk clerk, as they ran up to Naruto's door. Sakura stopped in front of number 666, remembering a time when Sasuke and her had badgered Naruto into giving it to them. She raised her hand to knock when she caught sight of the tiny bloodstains littering the carpet under the dirty doorway. She turned, raising panicked eyes to Sasuke who understood her silent message and kicked the rickety door in.

The room was trashed.

The furniture had been turned over, and dirty beer bottles and cigarette butts decorated the multicolored carpet, making the room not only look bad, but also smell terrible.

The blood trail beginning at the doorway, continued down the hallway and ended in a big puddle, right in front of Naruto's bedroom door.

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, and together they walked cautiously towards Naruto's room, ninja senses on high alert.

Sasuke pushed the door opened, it stopping halfway as it got caught on a pile of clothing. The two slipped throught the crack, taking in the smell of blood and rotting flesh as they walked fully into the room.

There laying, spread eagle on his bloodied bed, was a naked Naruto, barely recognizable due to his state. Sakura immediately threw up upon seeing her damaged friend, and Sasuke rubbed her back on instinct, trying to comfort them both, as he took stock of the situation.

Sakura had stopped vomiting, and continued to stare at her beaten friend, "What… what are we going to do?" the tears she hadn't tried to stop were now cascading down her cheeks, falling slowly to the ground.

"Go get Kakashi" at Sakura's terrified look at his outburst, he shouted "Now!"

Sakura ran from the room at full speed to Kakashi's house. She caught him already making his way towards the apartment, and at her look, his suspicions were confiremed, and together they went back to Naruto's apartment.

They walked into Naruto's room, stopping short at the scene before them, in their absence, Sasuke had picked up Naruto's head, and laid it in his lap, and was now talking soothingly to the blond.

He lifted his head defiantly at their stares, daring them to say anything… they didn't.

"Alright Sasuke, give him to me" Kakashi soothed, Sasuke nodded, and the two gently maneuvered Naruto into Kakashi's arms. Naruto moaned at the disruption, cringing when kakashi smoothed his sweaty hair behind his ears. Bleary blue eyes slowly blinked up at him, almost immediately followed by a string of apologies from Naruto. Kakashi shushed Naruto, continuing to slowly rub his hand over his head, petting him gently. Naruto dosed lightly, worried about the kind voice, but at the moment not caring as sleep overtook his small frame.

Kakashi sighed deeply, guiding his team out of the ironically numbered apartment. Sasuke looked around one more time, glaring hatefully at it, before closing the door to 666.

To

Back at Sakura's apartment, Sakura resumed cooking the stew that she had started earlier on Kakashi's request. She stirred it slowly clockwise, trying to drown out the obvious whimpers coming from her bedroom.

She spooned up a bowl of the thin liquid, and put it on a tray with a few crackers. She smiled sadly at the sparse meal, remembering any other time when Naruto would deny himself anything that wasn't ramen, and wishing desperately, that he'd run into the room, acting like his usual nutty self, and sniff her pot before declaring that he couldn't eat soup, even if it was 'like ramen without the noodles'" She shook off her melancholy thoughts and made her way slowly down the hall, towards the only bedroom.

Kakashi smiled as she entered, and signaled with a hand that she was to put it on her bedside table. The three stayed up all night taking care of Naruto, bathing his fevered head with a cold cloth when he grew to warm, and trying to feed him some of Sakura's soup.

The next morning found the team still sitting around Sakura's bedside, keeping close watch on Naruto, each deep in their own thoughts, until a stirring from the bed brought their attention back to the present.

Naruto woke slowly, blinking open his blue eyes and stiffening at the figures in his room, before catching their chakra signatures, and relaxing slightly. He smiled softly up at them "Hi guys" at their concerned expressions he frowned again, realizing at that moment that he wasn't in his room after all, and that his friends must have taken him from his house. He sighed softly, he hadn't thought at the time that he was that bad off.

"Naruto" he glanced up at Sakura's face "are you ok" asked Sakura softly.

He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile, before moving all of his limbs, making sure that everything was in working condition.

He looked up at all of them, taking in their tired expressions, and catching the blood stains on their clothes, realizing the significance of their exhausted frames.

He smiled genuinely, "Thankyou…"

Kakashi reached over, and ignoring Naruto's flinch, kissed his forehead softly, at Naruto's shocked expression he explained "that's for scaring me you little moron"

Sakura giggled, until she herself and Sasuke, both received kisses on their foreheads too. Sakura looked up, waiting for her explanation, and when none came, she didn't question it.

**And that would be chapter two! i actually like this story a lot more than my other two, mainly because i just love the whole Kakashi adoptiong Naruto thing. I hope you stick with me, this is going to be a long ride. And more secrets will be revealed! I've gotten a couple of letters asking if this is going to be Slash, and to knock that out now, the answer is no! i do not write Slash, and it will never appear in any of my fics.**

**And finally, i saw all of the reader traffic coming through the story, almost 400 visitors, and only one review. hmm... i think we can do better than that, please review readers!**


	3. Contemplating Destiny

**IMPORTANT AUTHOR"S NOTE**

**Summary: Alright, sorry for not putting this in the beginning, but here seems good too. Anyway, Naruto is the head captain of an organization called 'Mabu', similar to Anbu, but stocked full of children's teams instead of adults. Hence the use of 'boss' in this chapter. This is the other secret that Naruto is keeping from his two cell members, Kakashi already knows. **

At the insistence of his team, or rather Sakura's harsh demands, Naruto remained in bed for the rest of the morning, being spoiled by his team. He smiled as Kakashi walked in once again, under the pretence of looking for something, while 'subtly' checking on Naruto's condition. He smiled to himself as his sensei left, unused to the caring, but not wholly against it either. He rembered a previous conversation that he'd had with his testy tenant, in which the Kyuubi had told him that he'd find a great love in the depths of his friendship with his cell, at the time, he hadn't believed her, but now he not only liked the idea, but found himself latching on to it. It was to these peaceful thoughts that he fell asleep. A sleep in which he dreamed…

SA

"_Hello my little fox" greeted Kyuubi, nuzzling her red head against Naruto's blonde._

"_Hi Kyuu, it's great to see you… Thanks for healing up this last bout of injuries… heh heh, clumsy me" _

"_Stupid child, come rest with me while I work on these bruises, and next time, be a little more careful, they nearly got us this time" Naruto nodded, moving closer to Kyuubi, and once in reach, she enfolded him in her tails, ensconcing him in her protection. Naruto breathed in her scent,and finding comfort there, allowed his mind to rest as well. Kyuubi breathed a puff of air across naruto's tiny body, ruffling him slightly, before resuming her chakra feedings to her starving host. Naruto shifted in his sleep, curling towards the warmth, and winding his balled hands in Kyuubi's soft fur, humming with contentment._

SU

A crash followed by a scream rang through the apartment, wakening Naruto from his slumber, Ninja sense on high alert instantly. He pulled his sluggish body, taking a moment to ponder why he felt so sluggish considering who was healing him, and made his way into the living room, stopping dead at the sight before him, Kyuubi, ever his protector, had his cell member's backed up to a wall, cornered on every side, due to her massive size. _That explains the emptiness_

His team were all standing in a line as if in roll call, nodding to anything and everything that Kyuubi uttered. They all looked slightly scared, but not to shaken, which led Naruto to believe that Kyuubi had been talking to them a long time.

"Enough!" Naruto's shout rang through the apartment, and kyuubi backed down immediately, taking her position at Naruto's side, giving him a Cheshire grin. " I was only talking to them" At Naruto's disbelieving glare she elaborated "and perhaps scaring them a bit"

"Kyuu, you promised"

Kyuubi sighed dramatically, tossing her head back in mirth at Naruto's obvious discomfort "I am specifically here, to gain some information, not to intimidate… I am only trying to help" she soothed. "Sorry about the lamp, Kakashi Sama" At naruto's incredulous look, she smiled a wolfish grin, "the circumstances of my honor have changed, and I will respect that" she said answering Naruto's unasked question about Why she'd called anyone Sama, vehemently denying at one point that she ever would.

He nodded,a bit confused about her explanation, but not wanting to dwell on it, he turned towards his shocked team, bowing lowly, and even further shocking them.

"I'm sorry about her, when i dream, she has free reign over my body", he glared at her for good measure, "she usually, doesn't abuse that right. I hope she hasn't said anything to offend you" they all shook their heads, stepping out of the roll call line position and surrounding Naruto and Kyuubi.

"Good, and now i would like to properly introduce my spiritual tenant, and friend, Kyuubi, the _demon_ fox, who ransacked our village a couple of years ago, and killed a prime figure in our government."

"Kyuubi glared back at him, "Alright imp, i'm leaving, i can tell when i'm not wanted" She bowed to Kakashi, "Take care of him." and then she was gone in a red haze, completely absorbed back into Naruto's body.

The rest of the evening was spent at Sakura's house, where Naruto explained more about the Kyuubi's powers, and told them, much to Sakura and Sasuke's relief, about his incredible healing rate. The team retired early, falling asleep almost instantly after the trying day.

KE

Naruto sat on the roof of Sakura's apartment complex, having not slept, out of duty to Konoha. At that moment, a black bird swooped from the sky, coming to land in front of Naruto, a note attached to it's leg. He held out his leg in offering, and naruto to the short missive.

_Now would be good_

The four words, held equal amounts dread and relief, and he made his way back into the apartment building to pick up his already packed, mission bag.

He silently closed the window behind him, draping his bag over his shoulder and turning to leave.

"Not leaving without saying goodbye, are you?" questioned Kakashi in a bored tone. "they're going to worry, when they wake without you there , Naruto nodded sadly. "you know kid, sometimes it's better to take a chance and risk getting hurt, rather than not chancing anything and never knowing."

Naruto nodded again, "I'll think about it"

Kakashi smiled slightly, "be careful and don't do anything to dangerous" he leaned down, planting another small kiss on Naruto's forehead.

Before Naruto even tried to sort out his feelings, Kakashi had poofed, leaving him alone. He shook his head. _One problem at a time_

IS

Naruto came to a stop in front of a large meadow, filled with wild flowers. He walked cautiously, looking around every so often until he came to the middle of the meadow, and with one last glance, stroked and oddly shaped blue flower's pedals.

A long stairway now stood in place of the flower, and Naruto made his way down it.

CO

Once inside the pristine white lab, the stairway closed, converting back into a ceiling tile, emblazoned with the 'Mabu' symbol.

A lab tech, sitting at a computer several feet away, smiled at the sight of him and immediately came over carrying several large files.

"hey boss, that was quick, thanks for getting here so fast, I got to get these files down to Kyo for inspection, so can we walk why I fill you in. Naruto nodded, and the two headed right into another white hallway that led to a huge room, filled with tables and chairs. Elavators lined the right wall, of an intersection with four more white hallways. A giant, grand, stair case circled its way up to the top of the building.

"Ok, we've got" said the boy pulling out one of his files, "a capture and rescue of one of our forest guard teams, a minor explosion in lab 2, Team 04's impending misson, a suspicious lead in the highlands, a battle being waged on the Northern terrace, and one very angry lab techinician. Personally, I would take all the former over the latter, but it was technically your fault, you did promise."

Naruto nodded, feeling guilty about what had been done to him the previous night. Hojo, noticing his friend's change in mood, berated himself for blaming Naruto, knowing how he'd take it.

"did something happen yesterday?" he ventured cautiously. Naruto nodded, telling Hojo the previous day's date and allowing him to fill in the blanks.

Hojo nodded sadly, patting Naruto's shoulder, knowing that giving false comfort would only make things worse.

The two turned another corner, and entered a lab, much like the first, that was filled to the brim with state of the art lab equipment, bordering a giant, currently green computer screen. At the long computer desk, sat his medical examiner, typing away on the computer, until she noticed their arrival.

She immediately started in on Naruto, yelling at him for not showing up for the 'surprise' 12th birthday party that the entire Mabu would have attended.

Naruto sighed sadly, lowering his gaze and cowering slightly from the much smaller girl, whom upon noting his reaction backed off. He explained everything, from the part where his cell found out about Kyuubi, until the end where he woke in his friend's bed, sleeping off the effects of a rape, and a beating.

Ai's tone softened as she gazed upon the face of her savior, apologizing for yelling at him and accepting his apology for being late. They left the lab as one, splitting up with Hojo, who'd gone to deliver his files. They entered another white room, this one the exact replica of a hospital room, where Ai had Naruto lay on a bed so she could examine him.

Only dealing with grievous injuries daily, prepared her to see all of the new scars, laid across Naruto's old scars in crisscross directions. She sighed, letting the puff of air ruffle her bangs, before walking across the room to retrieve her emergency medical kit.

OL

After the checkup, Naruto worked alongside his troops, handling army agreements, signing treaties, having meetings, and in between, dealing with the little things, like kissing a scrape, training with a new recruit or simply playing with the children.

He was reclining outside on a hammock with six other kids, when the strange missive came through. A letter addressed to him, in ninja code.

_Coming soon, don't worry, found new clues, not being followed- S&D_

Naruto stared at the letter for a couple of minutes, worried even more now, about the safety of his troops… including cell seven.


	4. Revealing Everything

Naruto walked dejectedly back to Sakura's apartment, taking the back roads to avoid the pesky, and potentially harmful villagers. He had no idea what his excuse to his teammates would be for leaving so suddenly without a word, and had been agonizing over it for the majority of the day. _Tell them my little one, they deserve to know…_ came Kyuubi's calm reply at the edge of his conscience. He nodded at her suggestion, but couldn't quite contain the niggling doubt that his teammates would reject him.

He made his way to Sakura's apartment, raising his arm to knock, and was pulled inside before he even had time to react. Sakura had grabbed him, and was holding him against a wall , yelling at him about his disappearance. When she had calmed from her rant, he lifted his gaze, only to see Sasuke glaring at him from his spot leaning beside the refrigerator. Sasuke looked at Naruto in disgust, before turning and walking down the small hallway into Sakura's room.

Sakura turned her attention back to Naruto, "he was really worried about you… we both were" She followed after Sasuke, stopping to give Naruto one more sad smile.

Naruto sighed sadly, turned off the kitchen lights and went after his cell mates, thinking of how he would broach the subject of his society.

SA

He walked into the room quietly, and sighed at seeing their distrustful faces. "I'm sorry"… I know it's not much, but I had something to do."

"yeah you always do…" groused Sasuke angrily " you keep telling us you don't want to keep secrets, so why don't you just tell us?"

Naruto nodded "That's what I came back to do, I've kept another secret… this one isn't as dramatic as the last, but I've realized that I'm not only hurting myself by not telling you… so here goes. You guys know of Anbu?" at their confused nods he elaborated " Well I command another organization that is very similar to Anbu, only not as well known, and instead of adults running it, children do." Naruto smiled uneasily, letting his teammates take in his news.

Sasuke shook his head in disbelief, the pieces of the puzzle falling into place for him finally "You're stronger than you let on… the man was right, you're a prodigy."

"what man?" said Sakura and Naruto in unison

Sasuke shook his head "never mind, just thinking" Naruto gave him a suspicious look, but let it go quickly, figuring it was just as well if Sasuke took his news with less than relative dramatics.

"Dobe… "Said Sasuke ruffling Naruto's hair into disarray "we'll have to fight soon… and no holding back this time. Deal?"

"Deal"

Sakura looked at Naruto, and the two shared a secret smile, knowing that in Sasuke-ease, that meant that their oldest teammate had taken the news positively.

KU

The rookie Nine, Gai's team, and their sensei's, had all congregated at Sakura's house later in the day, where Naruto, figuring he'd need all the support he could get, had decided to tell his closest confidants about the Kyuubi and MABU.

After hearing the story, and being filled in on everything, Naruto had told the teams to meet him by Konoha's main gate, if they wanted to see the actual MABU headquarters, and to meet the brains behind the organization.

Naruto waited almost and hour, and was about to give up hope on the cell's promise to meet him, when the entire group walked into existence, waving and greeting him amiably.

He waved back, releasing a relieved breath at the sight, before walking up to meet them. Kakashi placed his hand on Naruto's shoulder, rubbing gently, giving him an approving look at his decision to tell the cells.

RA

Naruto out of safety, had the teams divided into their original cells, following behind each other at different paces, as to not draw attention to themselves.

They made it there with no interruptions, and Naruto had the group gather around him as he rubbed the flower. The girls were giggling softly at his method to access his space, until a Stairway appeared, cutting off the last of their amusement. They all looked at each other, before following Naruto down the stairs and into the pristine white room.

The room was deserted when they entered, only the computer's whirring giving testament to someone having been there earlier. The teams looked around in amazement, taking in the high tech equipment, and giant assignment board filled with past and present assignments.

Naruto smiled at their amazement, glad that he'd decided to share, and happier still that this particular group hadn't rejected him. _True friends_

Hojo walked in at that moment, pausing at the packed room, feeling uneasy until he spotted the wild, blond mop sticking out in the bunch of ninja.

"Umm… hi… everyone, Boss… What's this?

"Sorry Hojo" said Naruto coming forward "in the confusion, I didn't have time to talk to everyone about my plans" Hojo nodded, smiling now at the large group of Ninja surrounding his Nii-san, protecting him.

"If you could, I need all teams in immediately , I'll have Kyuu put up her shield up to protect everything for now."

Hojo bowed slightly, "absolutely boss, I'll get on it" he was out the door before Naruto could decipher his odd smile.

IS

The alert had sounded, and Naruto had summoned Kyuubi, gathered the teams, and was nowwalking down the main Hallway to the entrance room, where upon seeing him, the troops instantly stood at attention. He smiled at their attentiveness, and gave them a sincere smile, to which even the youngest children all fell at ease.

He and Kyuubi walked into the troops, they parted until there was an admirable walkway for him to walk down as he waded through them. He'd instructed his group to stay behind while he preformed the protection jutsu, them agreeing out of curiosity rather than the deep rooted respect that the other children seemed to hold for him.

He preformed the hand signs automatically, recalling times when he'd needed to perform the jutsu on a regular basis. The Kyuubi's red Chakra enveloped the entire underground structure and its surrounding areas, cloaking it from enemy nin, and anyone else about.

He walked back to the front, standing in front of his old and new troops, glancing at them stoically, before smiling once more, and preparing himself to unite the two sides of Ninja into one Strong, new Era.

NOT

The troops stood at attention once more, as Naruto introduced his Konoha team to his troops, explaining why he'd told them the secret, and what benefits everyone would derive from said descision.

"And the depressed looking one on the end is Uchiha Sasuke" Naruto finished tiredly. He smirked at Sasuke's expected reaction of taking it stoically, and turned his attention back to his troops "I will expect the same respect and compliance you show one another, they are a part of us now, and we need to recognize that, before we are able to fully work together… nicely, am I understood." A collaborated "Hai" was his answer and then the teams dispersed upon one another, greeting the new comers as well as each other, and falling into a contented routine of pleasantries and catching up.

Kyuubi stood by Naruto, smiling wolfishly "The best laid plans…" Naruto smirked back, hugging Kyuubi tightly, and burying his hands tightly in her fur "thanks Kyuu" She licked his cheek and walked with him back to the crowd of Ninja.

TH

As the night dwindled on, Naruto decided to reveal, why he'd needed the troops there to begin with. "Attention", immediately the noise quieted, and the troops looked up in interest. I'm really glad we could catch up like this you guys" a cheer broke out among the children, that died down quickly at Naruto's serious look. "I just wish it could be longer… but reality is calling, and it's about time that I answer the door. Yesterday I received a letter from some close friends of mine, and a war is on the horizon, one that I along with they, will be directly involved in. It is the war, of the Jinchuriiki.

At their collective gasps, he continued solemnly "Dai and Sora are on the way as we speak, after all this time, we've finally located the ninth Jinchuriiki, and we are going to need all the help we can get to bring the child here.

A random voice rose up from the crowd " Why are only Dai and Sora coming if you've located the ninth boss?"

"Because, Makoto, we don't want to draw to much attention to ourselves, and they are the stealthiest, not to mention they live in extremely close proximity, making them the best choices. They will arrive in about two days time, and then a couple days after, we will have the entire Jinchuriiki nine here… together, for the first time in history.

The Konoha nin's looked stunned, spurring Naruto into explaining the history of the nine Jinchuriiki, and the legend of the nine's strength once brought together.

"So I don't want you guys feeling pressured, explained Naruto later " because, technically… this isn't your fight to figh-

"We're in boss" shouted a voice from the back of the gathering.

A unanimous agreement came from the rest.

**That's chapter 4, i finally updated, yay me! i had so much going on this week, (which isn't a very good excuse, but the best i can do), and than i had major writer's block, but alas i have finished the chapter, and am midly happy with the results. Please enjoy and review!**


	5. The Forming Of A Family

The two days had passed relatively uneventfully, giving Naruto a chance to collect his thoughts, and the Konoha nins to become even more acquainted to his MABU squad.

He stood on top of Hokage mountain, scoping the streets for any sign of his jinchuriiki companions. A poof of white distracted him, leaving Sasuke in its wake.

"Dobe…"

"Teme"

Sasuke smirked lightly at the expected retort, and followed Naruto's gaze to Konoha's gates. "No sign of them then…."

Naruto sighed sadly, his shoulders drooping slightly as he spoke "Not one, and I haven't heard from them in hours…it's just strange."

Sasuke nodded thoughtfully "Hn"

He reached over and started to give Naruto an encouraging pat on the shoulder, but was stopped short at Naruto's expected flinch. He raised his hands in the air, holding them in plain view of Naruto's wary eyes. "Sorry…"

Naruto shook his head "no… its not your fault, it's just… stuff, I can't stop myself sometimes, but I know you'd never… hurt me" he said unconvincingly. His sad, blue, eyes looked through his fringe up at Sasuke, gauging his reaction.

Sasuke's lips lifted slightly at the corners "As long as you know dobe…"

Naruto smiled brightly.

TH

The two spent hours up on the mountain's heads, reveling in each other's company, only speaking occasionally, eventually falling asleep to the soft sunlight and cool breeze. They were awoken abruptly however, when a messenger hawk flew into view, leaving a note on top of Naruto's head before flying swiftly away. Naruto blinked slowly, rubbing his exhausted eyes and peering closely at the short missive.

_Needed at Hokage Tower immediately._

Sasuke who'd looked over Naruto's shoulder, stood up quickly, offering Naruto his hand. Both boys glanced briefly at each other, before taking off towards Tsunade's mountain Headquarters.

EY

The two burst into Tsunade's office gracefully, standing towards the back of the room, and taking stock of the situation. Spotting Sakura, the boys went over to stand near her, giving her questioning looks to which she only shook her head.

Tsunade took stock of the kids, smiling slightly to herself at their obvious discomfort. "I've asked the three of you here today, to offer you a proposal, one that all other parties have agreed to except for you. They nodded, still uneasy.

"I've noticed your orphaned status" Sasuke snorted, glaring at her_ who hadn't noticed _Tsunadechose to ignore it "and I would like to help alleviate it."

"How can you help that?" asked Naruto quietly

"simple… I have arranged for the three of you… to be adopted."

Cell seven gaped at her open mouthed, staring at one another in askance.

"Oh no, don't look so worried, we've already picked out a suitable candidate, and the three of you, if agreeable, will be adopted together." She noticed the kids relaxing slightly, but still glancing around cautiously.

Tsunade let them twist in the wind for several more minutes before taking pity on them.

"Kakashi is willing to adopt you three… if you'll have him."

The kids broke out in awkward smiles, trying to be grateful, but at the same time worried about what the future would hold.

"Will you three at least think about it?" the kids nodded, and left quickly after she dismissed them.

AR

Team seven sat quietly on what they'd termed the 'mission bridge', each lost in their own thoughts.

"… I wonder who's idea this was…" spoke Sasuke softly "it's weird that Kakashi'd want to adopt anyone, let alone his team. So what now...?"

Neither kid had an answer, so each continued to sit broodingly, they were broken from their thoughts however, due to a gasp from Sakura.

"Oh god, I forgot about kakashi, he was looking for the two of you earlier."

"good" said Naruto standing, "lets ask him what this whole adoption thing is really about."

Sakura glanced at Sasuke, Naruto's insecurity was obvious. He nodded and without saying anything more, the two followed naruto down the road.

E

Kakashi searched frantically for his boys_, _Kakashi backtracked, _since when had they become his boys_ He smiled_, maybe this whole idea, wasn't so crazy after all._ He shook off the thought, and kept running through Konoha's streets to any place the two might have gone. He'd seen them that morning but had to go off on a mission, so had left them to their own devices for a day. When he'd arrived home, he'd gone to visit his students, but found two of them missing, and one riddled with worry.

He breathed in deeply, trying to calm his racing heart, and turned through the back alley that led to the hidden grove that housed the way to MABU. He reached the flower field in record time, and stroked the flower petal. The stairs appeared, and he quickly made his way down them. He looked around for Hojo, whom according to Naruto often frequented the particular lab. When he didn't see him, he followed the hallways into the main room, and catching a child immediately went to her.

Ai looked up in surprise when she spotted Naruto's \sensei barreling towards her. He took her shoulders in his hands and shook her slightly, "do you have any idea where Naruto is?" She shook her head immediately worried, pulled out a small device from her pocket and dialed a sequence of numbers. Kakashi watched fascinated as a he little device lit up and began beeping an oddly comforting drone. A little arrow he hadn't previously seen spun to the right of the device and the beeping increased.

Ai looked up and gave Kakashi a relived smile, "He's on his way here now, and he's not hurt or anything, so there's no use worrying."

Kakashi nodded gratefully "Thanks… what kind of device is that?"

The child laughed, "we call it the Naruto tracker, because simply put that's what it does. It latches on to Naruto's chakra signature and tells us everything about him, from his location to his weight, which at this point is sadly lacking .Hojo's sister Suiko created them recently, and its become mandatory, what with all the attacks on his person, that we all carry them."

Kakashi nodded smiling, "amazing…"

"Since he'll be here soon, want to tell me why you need to talk to him so badly?"

Kakashi's eye twitched as he wondered how much he should reveal "I've recently made some decisions, and I need he and his cell mate's opinions on said decisions."

Ai nodded, taking his vague answer at face value. Kakashi smiled at her gently, glad for Naruto's excellent training of his teams.

HE

Team seven made their way into the base, Sakura and Sasuke following behind Naruto as he sniffed the air again. He nodded to himself, and walked sedately to the middle of the base where the sight of Kakashi and a few of the younger MABU greeted him.

Kakashi caught his eye and nodded to the children who dispersed quickly.

The four looked each other over, each contemplating how the conversation would play out.

Kakashi gathered Naruto and Sasuke close, pulling them tight to his chest and brushing kisses across their brows. Naruto flinched instinctively, relaxing slightly when Kakashi placed a gentle hand on his back. Sasuke smirked, looking aloof as the hug continued.

He then reached over to Sakura, including her in the hug, before letting the three go and looking them over to make sure they really didn't have any injuries.

He walked them to the corner of the room and the four sat.

"I assume Tsunade talked to you three?"

They nodded, looking uneasy.

"Its true, we don't want the three of you without a home and a family, and since the four of us are all orphans, why don't we be orphans together.

The kids looked shocked, each turning to Sasuke to pick up the slack. He looked Kakashi in the eyes "what do you get out of this?"

Kakashi smiled slightly, _leave it to Sasuke_ He looked them all over, seriousness coloring his voice "the three of you…"

RE

The MABU procession stood in split lines of the entrance way to the headquarters, each perfectly parallel to another. Naruto nodded to them before making his way down the middle of the line, smiling gently.

The two figures came into view, walking slowly now that they'd seen the procession. They spotted Naruto immediately, and dropping their packs ran to greet him.

The girl hugged and kissed him, and the boy patted his back gently. A bright light shined around the three as they embraced, their joy apparent. Kyuubi appeared, along with two other demons, one the shape of a giant lion, and the other a panther.

The demons rejoiced at the joining of their carriers, and roared loudly, uniting the forces once again.


	6. How These Things Work

Naruto led the procession, proceeded by him and his fellow demons, into the main part of the base, inviting everyone to sit down.

Sora smiled widely, letting her long hair out of its customary braid, and sat down between the two boys, putting her hands behind her head and sighing contentedly.

The next few hours were spent in catching up with each other, and simply enjoying everyone's company.

The hours dwindled down, as the last light of the day slowly drifted away, leaving the children feeling tired, and extremely comfortable. Only in their tired states did Sora, finally broach the Jinchuuriki subject.

"Nii..." Naruto looked at Sora sadly,knowing that the conversation had to veer away from the safe territory eventually, but still upset to see it go, nodded his head for her to continue "we did it…, we found the ninth jinchuuriki."

Naruto's frown turned around, allowing him a slight, but heartfelt smile. "What's he like then, have you met him?"

Sora smirked impishly, "Ha, not this time nii, **she** is a girl" Her smirk morphed into a smile when Naruto's mouth fell open in shock. After years of searching, each of the Jinchuuriki hosts that the kids had come across, except for Sora, were male, and in prompting, all of the jinchuuriki spirits were all males, excluding the Kyuubi.

Sora rummaged through the mission bag at her side, and came up shortly with a thick envelope. She opened it quickly, and dumped its contents out on the table. Three pictures fell out, all featuring a little girl, with the same brown hair as Sora, and the same blue eyes as Naruto. The first picture featured Sora, Dai, and the little girl posed together, while the second had only Dai with her, and the third, the little girl stood alone, staring morosely at the camera, seemingly unconcerned with everything.

Naruto sighed "She's beautiful."

"That she is" said Dai warmely, "she is currently staying with Gaara, and he'll be the one bringing her here later on, they should be here in about two days. And then, the rest of the Calvary should be here tomorrow."

Naruto nodded lightly, taking in all the new information and trying to process it in a calm, rational way.

"Good, well… I'm really glad you guys are here, we've got a lot of work to do, but for now, we'll wait until everyone gets here, so then, the two of you have just earned yourselves a day off."

The two nodded, smiling widely at Naruto's easy acceptance, and continued telling him about all the new developments that the two had come across, talking long into the night.

FA

Naruto dozed lightly, as the other kids continued talking, hardly able to fight off the sleep any longer, due to not having gotten enough in a long time. Dai and Sora kept up the pretense of talking, fully cognizant of Naruto's drowsy state, in the hopes that they'd put their little brother to sleep. They smiled at each other warmly when he finally drifted off, congratulating one another on their minimal success.

Dai moved around the table, moving to lift Naruto up onto his back, when a voice from behind, interrupted him.

"I've got him…" said Kakashi amiably. He reached down slowly, and gently lifted Naruto in his arms, cradling him easily against his chest. Naruto shifted under the hands holding him, flinching even under their familiar hold, before resting his head in the crook of Kakashi's neck, and settling down once more.

Dai studied the man, knowing instinctively that this was Naruto's guardian, simply by the way he held him, safely, unconsciously turned to the side slightly, as if to better protect his little boy if anyone tried anything.

He nodded once at the man, and then he and his sister, along with the dispersing kids, all made their way to the empty bedrooms, scattered about the base, in the hopes of catching a few hours of sleep before having to go back out into the field.

MI

Kakashi pulled Naruto up, more securely in his arms, and left the base, Sasuke and Sakura trailing behind slightly. They walked in silence, except for the usual night sounds, lost in their thoughts.

Sasuke and Sakura started when Naruto stirred, and began mumbling incoherently, his movements growing more frantic with each second. They gathered around Kakashi, as he shushed Naruto, rubbing his back gently, and kissing his forehead lightly, soothing him gently as he handled the distraught boy.

Naruto opened his eyes a crack, glancing thorough them at Kakashi. His natural reaction to the touch was dampened due to the hands rubbing his back so carefully. He shifted higher, laying his head back down on Kakashi's shoulder, and sighed contentedly, relishing in this brand new, wonderful feeling. He caught Sakura and Sasuke's eyes, nodded and smiled calmly , and lay back down, closing his eyes, and returning to slumber. Sakura smiled widely at the trust Naruto put in Kakashi, knowing how hard it was to acquire, took Kakashi's unoccupied hand, and with Sasuke walking closely on Kakashi's other side, continued the short walk to Kakashi's house. She squeezed the hand she held, and an answering squeeze was returned. She looked on the little family, her baby brother held in her father's arms, her sulky older brother walking moodily, his lips threatening a smile, and her father the protector, walking steadily forward. Upon their picture, she found the answer to Kakashi's question. She was going home, and if her brother's acceptance of the hair tousle he'd received earlier was any indication, he agreed.

LY

Kakashi walked to the room door for the fourth time that night, leaning against the doorframe, and gazing upon his sleeping children. He stepped in quietly, and adjusted the blankets around Sasuke's shoulders, pulling them up to his chin and leaning down to place a soft kiss on his head. Kakashi had brought the kids to his ancestral home, knowing his apartment didn't have the space, and not particularly caring, because that hadn't been a home anyway. He looked back on the kids, Having set up cots all in the same room on the children's insistence, and smiled, a genuine, true smile, one nobody had seen since he was a small child. He left the room, and came back momentarily with a chair from his sitting room, and put it in between Naruto and Sakura's beds. He knew realistically that nothing would get them in the protection of such an unplotable place, but at the same time had an undeniable urge to be close to his children… just in case.

IS

Naruto woke up suddenly, knowing immediately that he was in an unfamiliar place, but at the same time, not so unfamiliar at all. He rolled over onto his side, to see a stirring Sasuke, and a still sleeping Sakura. He smiled gently, then turned over, the warmth of his blankets his last thought, as he turned over and went back to sleep.

He woke hours later, looking over towards the clock on the beside table, and jumped up, panicked because of the impending arrival of four of his fellow jinchuuriki. He quickly got himself dressed, stopping short when he allowed the scent he'd picked up, to permeate his senses. He threw on a shirt, and ran into the living room, stopping short at the sight before him.

GR

The six jinchuuriki present, where all lounging on the furniture, laying about and generally being lazy as Kakashi , Sasuke and Sakura, in the midst of it all, entertaining them with stories. As soon as he stopped talking, he was immediately surrounded, being pounced on from all sides by three extremely exuberant bodies, crushing him tightly as they all tried to hug him at once. He flipped the two heavier bodies with ease, holding their arms behind their backs, and throwing them to the ground, where he then sat on them. The smallest body, he'd picked up and gently placed on his lap. Naruto smiled wolfishly "say uncle whelps"

The two cried 'uncle' unanimously, and were released readily by a smiling Naruto. He laughed at their disgruntled expressions and ruffled their hair affectionately.

"Come on boys… you didn't really think you could beat me huh?"

The twins scowled, their frowns deepening as the youngest of the profession broke into undignified giggles, spurred on by his Nii's tickling.

The other boy walked calmly over from his place on the couch, and extended his hand to his brother, pulling Naruto up, a drawing him into a fierce hug.

"I guess you've all been introduced" said Naruto breaking from the hug.

Three denials were his answer, and he glared incredulously at the other demon wielders.

Dai smiled easily, reverting into his peace maker role "We only just got here nii, these guys got here this afternoon, and we just came over now, we were just getting to know each other when you woke up"

Every head in the room nodded, backing up his story. Naruto nodded in acceptance, taking it upon himself to introduce everyone.

Alright Sensei, guys" he said nodding in his cell's direction "This guy to my right is Auri, he's just turned twelve too, and these two rascals, are the twins , Roku and Hiroshi, eight, and lastly, this little guy is Juro, and he is now three."

They nodded at each introduction, laughing at Juro's amiable 'hello', and settled down when Naruto asked them to stand back.

He gathered the six into a circle, placing himself at it's head, and uniting the Jinchuuriki again, now, seven strong.


	7. Home Again

Gaara and company made it to the gate without a hitch, stopping in front of Konoha's guards at their insistence. He glanced around hollowly, at Konoha's streets.

The group made its way to headquarters, tickling the flower's petal, and entering the building.

Home… he thought brokenly, a word that so far hadn't meant anything at all to him, yet in this place, he was. He walked through the main hallway, quickening his steps in anticipation of seeing what before, would of made him angry, his family. Thoughts of his new father soon consumed his mind, him being held, lifted,… and loved.

Being without it for so long, had left him with an empty, hollow sort of hunger that tore at his insides, and made his chest ache with a fierce awfulness, that threatened to encompass his very being. The feelings grew so intense, that he hadn't even realized he was running towards the grand room, until a tug on his hand from the little girl who'd been clutching it, drew him from his rampant thoughts. He looked down as she rubbed his hand, calming him slightly.

Temari grabbed his shoulders to soothe away the tension, and he looked behind him to see his older brother, yelling at a guard to keep his distance from Gaara, and that all he needed was space. At that moment, he realized, that he had a family, albeit a crazy one, but a family nonetheless, and he saw it, the precipice, where everything fit, his own paradigm shift that allowed the world to move again, perfectly aligned, and perfectly right.

He sqeezed his older sister's hand and softened his hard gaze to thank his brother with his eyes. And then , grabbing up the small child's hand, they were off once more, the large group continuing it's trek down the hallway.

FI

Naruto stiffened suddenly in the middle of a conversation with Sakura and Sasuke, causing the whole of the large group, to look his way.

At their questioning gazes, he explained "Gaara's here, and it looks like he's got the new kid with him."

They nodded, and were about to continue the conversation, until the six other Jinchuuriki, walked into the room to announce to the others what Naruto had already told them.

Naruto nodded, and then they waited until the far off shuffling noise, became louder, and much clearer. The large group of Suna Ninja ambled in, and Might Gai moved forward slowly, looking for the shock of red hair that would lead to his son. Lee stood at his side, glancing around furiously as well, shuffling nervously in anticipation of his sibling's arrival.

At last, Gaara came into the room, looking as somber as ever. His eyes caught Gai's, and in almost an instant he was across the room in his father's arms, being soothed by the strong presence he had needed so desperately. Gai kissed his head lightly, rubbing his back softly, gently soothing away the tense muscles. He rocked slightly, from side to side, to calm Gaara's nerves.

Only after several long moments, did his siblings even attempt to come any closer, knowing Gaara had needed the quiet moment alone. They gathered around Gai and hugged him awkwardly, due to Gaara's refusal to be put down. Their father rubbed their hair gently, patting backs, and giving light kisses, all the while crooning soft words in Gaara's ear.

Naruto smiled at the sight, glad that Gaara was where he belonged, and happy to have his brother back with him and his siblings. Speaking of which… He glanced over towards a far wall, to see the little girl that had entered with Gaara, splayed out up against it, in the hopes that she wouldn't be seen.

He made his way over slowly, and leaned against the wall, leaning down slightly to talk to the frightened child.

"Tough crowd huh?"

She nodded distractedly, watching the scene sadly. He followed her gaze and sighed, why did it always have to be so hard.

"So do you have a name kid?"

Finally, the girl seemed to come out of her trance, glancing at the stranger standing above her, in such situations, her survival instincts, usually kicked in, but sensing no malicious intent, she only looked on curiously.

Deciding that he wasn't much of a threat, she answered his question.

"It's Aki"

He smiled gently, glad that the little girl had actually spoken to him, " That's a nice name, is it short for something?"

Aki looked up at the strange boy again, seemingly contemplating a drawn out response, then answered simply "No"

Naruto nodded, then lapsed into silence, wondering if all conversations with the girl would feel like yanking teeth.

NA

The largo group gathered into the main room, silently, as they watched Gaara explain to the child about the Jinchuuriki he'd spoken of earlier.

She gazed at them nervously as he spoke, so they all smiled gently at her, trying to put her at ease.

"And the leader of the Jinchuuriki, will ultimately be in charge and will lead us to victory against our common foes."

Aki nodded, "and who is the leader of the Jinchuuriki, he isn't horrible is he, I'm so tired of that."

She climbed into Gaara's lap, consequently Gai's since Gaara had refused to leave it, and looked around uncertainly, seeing only smiles.

"Gaara tipped his head in Naruto's direction, that's him."

Aki started, _The blonde from earlier,_ She uncounciously let out a sigh, letting the breath ghost over her face, trying to calm down.

"You're really the leader?"

Naruto gazed back solemnly, "by default yes…"

Hisses and glares, along with angry words hit him telling him not to believe that, and that he was the best one for the job.

"What?"

Naruto sighed "nevermind, story for another night. Anyway, yes I am the leader, but that doesn't mean I'm any good at it, or that I've made amazing decisions or anything, I'm just a reg- he chuckled "sortof regular kid, who happened to be put into a situation, same as you.

She nodded sagely, and gazed at him thoughtfully "I'm glad it's you"

He gazed back, "you know, sometimes i am too"

LLY

**Hello Hello, dear readers, please forgive me for my non updates, I have a thousand excuses, but I hate when people give excuses, so I'll leave it at that, and just hope you except my sincere apologies, and know that I will never abandon my stories.**

**So anyway, hope you like that bit of Gaara angst, Tanuki's need love too lol. I see Gaara as an emotionally stunted child, needing love and affection, something I Know Gai can provide in ample amounts. I hope it wasn't to confusing, in my universe, I had it so Gaara and his siblings are in the process of being adopted by Gai, whom they met sometime in the past. Lee rounds out the little family, because Gai has already adopted him previously, hope that clears a bit up.**

**Well then, Merry, or Happy Christmas, may your seasons all be filled with joy and happiness**

**Please review, and Happy holidays!**


	8. Insecurities

The lightning flashed, bathing the large room in an eerie yellow light. Naruto sat up quickly, blinking wildly, and breathing heavily, trying to calm his racing heart. He shivered strongly, pulling the blankets up to his chin, and trying to block out the frightening images in his head, long enough to fall back to sleep. Lately his sleep had been restless, filled with horrible images of what the akatsuki would do to him and his siblings when they got a hold of them.

His spine crawled once more, the horrible fear returning, turning his stomach into knots and making him feel extremely nauseas. He stole a quick breath, turning over and trying to fall back asleep.

An eerie noise from outside of his window had him sitting up again, before his head even properly touched the pillow. He was never going to get any sleep like this. He looked at the clock; 1:30. There was no way he would be falling back to sleep that night… unless… no he couldn't… but Kakashi had said he could.

But no matter what his mind said, his heart had other ideas, and he found himself in front of his father's door by the next bout of thunder. He raised his hand to knock, but then paused at what Kakashi's possible reaction might be like. His mind wandered back to his orphanage days, when he'd been beaten –or worse- if he'd woken any of the caretakers after a bad nightmare.

He wondered if Kakashi would actually hit him, he'd told him several times that he wouldn't… but, adults usually lied about everything he thought nodding. He shivered-he'd forgotten his slippers- he absently noted. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea.

And with those thoughts Naruto turned around, feeling completely foolish for wanting… needing comfort. He closed his eyes against the unwelcome moisture, and started walking briskly back down the corridor, when he ran smack into someone. He immediately dropped into a crouch, raising his arms protectively above his head, and began apologizing profusely, his mind taking him back to his past.

"M' sorry, M' sorry… won't do it again, I promise, please don't hit me… please." And then the whimpering voice instantly quieted, and Naruto got up slowly, as if realizing his pleas where usless and resigned himself to whatever punishment the caretakers would dole out this time. The corridor grew eerily silent.

Kakashi reached an arm out at Naruto's silence, trying to soothe the distraught boy, only to have Naruto flinch instinctively, causing Kakashi to drop his arm. He crouched down slowly, taking Naruto's chin in his hand, lifting it to meet his gaze gently.

"Naruto… hey buddy… do you know where you are?"

Naruto nodded, seeming to come out of his trance and whispered " Daddy's house"

Kakashi sucked in a breath, heavy stuff, his son calling him a name he was sure he'd never hear, he also knew that he never would of heard it, had Naruto not been so exhausted. And in that instant he knew he was all this little boy had in the world, and that he was the only one who could offer any comfort. He closed his eyes, breathing in deeply before opening them again letting the breath out slowly, before reaching out again, and placing a calming hand on Naruto's arm, ignoring the flinch.

"That's right little one, daddy's house, and do you know who I am?"

Naruto nodded again his eyes trying desperately to avoid Kakashi's gaze. "Daddy"

Kakashi smiled, gently lifting Naruto into his arms, and patting his back soothingly. "so what's got you so scared huh? Don't worry, you're not in any trouble."

Naruto relaxed completely, the tension leaving his body in a big gust of air. He laid his head on Kakashi's shoulder breathing in his scent. He really was to old for this, he told himself, but then the scent invaded his nostrils once more, promising him safety and comfort and he was lost.

"Nightmare" was Naruto's simple answer.

Kakashi nodded understandingly, carrying Naruto down a hallway he'd never seen before, and up two flights of stairs into a room that was set up as a nursery. He by passed the crib and baby toys, in favor of a dark stained, wooden, rocking chair.

He sat down slowly with Naruto in his lap. Naruto roused himself to look around confusedly, before being hushed by Kakashi, who's already started the soothing rocking motion.

Naruto's eyes fell closed slowly, popping open every few minutes so he wouldn't miss a moment of this wonderful experience. Eventually he could no longer hold out, and the pull of sleep claimed him. He fell asleep to one of the most restful sleeps he'd ever had.

NA

Naruto woke again, this time well rested, and with Sakura hovering over him, shaking him.

"wake up sleepy head, we don't have time for you to lay in bed all day."

Naruto flew up, grabbing clothes seemingly at random and running into the bathroom at top speed. Sakura smiled at his exuberance wondering what it was all about, after learning of his true nature, she'd rarely seen such excitement anymore.

She was brought from her musings at Naruto's voice

"Nee… umm… just how mad is Kakashi Sama this morning?"

Sakura glanced up surprised "what, no why would he be mad, its not like we did anything stupid… right?"

A pause came from the adjoining bathroom, and then a tiny voice floated out "… I might have. Last night, I had a nightmare, and I'm not really sure of much else except that I woke him up at some point."

"Well that's stupid, Kakashi's your dad, I'm told that's what dads do, you know helping their kids out and stuff" though her tone was confident, if they had been face to face, Naruto wouldn't of been reassured by her expression.

The water shut off, and Naruto walked out, clothed in black, and hair still dripping. Sakura couldn't hold back a grin at the sight, and proceeded to take Naruto's towel from him and begin rubbing his hair dry.

"Lets go… I think your friends are waiting on you, I can't believe you slept so late."

The dread in Naruto's stomach grew, building and building until he felt like he might burst, he wondered what Kakashi would do to him for his insolence last night.

RU

"Morning Naruto Nii" chorused 9 voices.

"Morning" he finally looked up from where his eyes had been watching his feet, knowing what adults would do when a child looked directly in their eyes, a blinked in surprise.

"Where's Kakashi?"

Sasuke got up from his place at the table, rinsing his dishes and stacking them neatly in the cupboard "he went out about ten minutes ago… something with the Hokage"

Naruto sighed in relief, a short lived one as he realized he would still have to see Kakashi later and he knew it would be worse, as he'd kept Kakashi waiting that morning when he'd so obviously wanted to punish him before he left. The weight settled on his chest again, making it hard to breathe, and he soon found himself on the ground, wondering when his head had hit the wood floors.

His last thoughts where on the blood that was staining the floor, and that he'd have to add that to his list of transgressions.

Yah, yah, I know really late… anyway hope it was alright, I don't know how my updating schedule will be from now on…

EMO


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